Censer



Nov. 21, 1950 L. R. LE TANG OENSER Filed Aug. 30, 1948 INVENTOR. BY 1601246 74;? WW

ATTYs Patented Nov. 21, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFHQE CENSER 8 Claims.

The present invention relates to a censer or thurible adapted for use inecclesiastic ceremonies and has for an object the provision of a deviceof this kind that is free of various difficulties that are sometimesexperienced in the preparation and use of such devices.

Another object of the invention is to provide a censer that isconstructed so as to provide for a maximum of heat dissipation directlyto the atmosphere and for a minimum of heat conduction to the exteriorparts thereof, thus affording a high degree of safety to those handlingthe same.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a ventilated censerthat lends itself to unique and elegant ornamental design and to avariety of metals or metal finishes.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a censer adaptedto be suspended by a single chain, without the dangers of known onechain censers.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide an easily andinexpensively arranged assembly of concentrically disposed and spacedlyrelated parts affording a greatly reduced metallic heat conductivityfrom the incense cup to the exterior ornamental and supporting parts ofthe device and affording selective disposition of the cover member aboveor below the cup.

These and other important objects are attained by the means describedherein and exemplified in the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is an elevational view of a censer embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a view taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1 showing the pan partlybroken away and the support ring partly in section.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view of the device showing in full linesthe position of the cover in an operative position over the pan, and indotted lines the position of the cover in its inoperative position.

Fig. 4 is a view taken on line 44 of Fig. 2.

Censers or thuribles have heretofore consisted generally in a hollowornamental body, a cover adapted to be lifted and lowered over the bodyand a cup or container for fire and incense materials, the body havingthree suspending chains, while a fourth chain is attached to the top ofthe cover for lifting it. The three body suspension chains are sometimespassed through three of the ventilating holes near the bottom of thecover to guide the latter gravitationally into closing position on thebody. These structures become quite hot during the period of preparationand ceremonial use and the suspending chains sometimes causeinconvenience to the users, particularly when the cover is lifted to addincense to the glowing material in the incense cup or container.

By the means of the present invention the previously experienceddifficulties are completely eliminated and a device is provided that issimpler to fill and use, said device being, by the nature of itsconstruction, suited to a new and enlarged range of ornamental design.

In the device as exemplified in the drawings a plurality of bracketmembers i, 8 and 9 are provided with pairs of lugs Iii-4i), H-l l, andlZ--l2 respectively. These lugs are preferably spaced apart equaldistances on each bracket;

butthe lugs on each succeeding bracket are vertically ofiset from thetop and bottom of said bracket by a distance equal to the thickness ofthe lugs. This permits the upper and lower sets of lugs I0, I l and I2to be superposed in stacked relation and to be connected as a unit atthe top by a threaded rod I 3 and at the bottom by a screw 14. Thebottom lug ID of the upper group and the top lug l2 of the lower groupare drilled and tapped to receive the thread of said screw members Itand M respectively while the remaining lugs of both groups are merelydrilled for the passage of said screws. A dish type base or foot I5 isattached to the lower lug it! by the screw I4 and the lower ends of thebrackets i, 8 and 9 may rest on the top face of said base. The center ofgravity is thus disposed in the vertical axis passing through screws l3and I4 particularly when the brackets are spaced apart uniformly atabout such axis.

A drilled ornamental knob N3 of plastic material or other low heatconductive material is passed over the threaded rod l3 and a threadedball nut I! is screwed onto the threaded end of the rod and is furtherprovided with a pivoted ring IE to which a suitable length of chain [9is attached.

Rigidly supported between the brackets is an ornamental hollow body 20of generally hemispherical or cup form having an enlarged bottom opening2| and further having about its upper horizontal edge acircumferentially arranged ring of openings, some of which openings areaccurately spaced holes, while the remainder of said openings are roundbottomed vertical slots which extend through the top edge 22 of the body29 in uniformly spaced relation to each other and to said holes in themanner which will now be described. One hole 23 and an opposed slot 24-are disposed on a given diameter of body 20, and another hole 25 isdisposed at 90 thereto, said hole 25 being diametrically opposed to aspecific slot 26. A slot 21 is spaced 120 from slot 24 and is disposedbetween slot 26 and hole 23, while the last slot 28 is disposed betweenholes 23 and 25 and is spaced 120 from slots 24 and 21.

The brackets 8 and 9 each have relatively long dowels 29 projectinginwardly and horizontally toward the vertical center axisof the deviceand these dowels extend through and beyond the slots 2! and 28 in body20 for the dual function of supporting the body at two points near thetop and of accurately spacing the brackets 8 and 9 at an angle of 120about said vertical axis. The bracket i has a similarly located andshorter dowel 30 which passes through slot 24 and terminatessubstantially flush with the inside face of body 28. The dowels 29 and30 may "be cast integrally with the several brackets or rigidly insertedtherein in :any desired manner. The several brackets have spacer andsupport bosses 3-! located so as to contact the exterior of body asat-three'points 120apart near the :bottomand to thereby space the bodyfrom the brackets and to cooperate with dowels .129 and 3B in rigidlysupporting the body on the brackets with a minimum of metallic contactthrough which heat may travel by conduction.

An incense cup '32 is provided with a peripheral lip or bead 33 fromwhich the cup is suspended within an annular support 34. The ring forannular support 3 has in the exterior side wall thereof a pair ofrecesses :01" drilled holes 35 spaced 126 apart andadapted to receive'thecorrespondingly reduced and shouldered ends 536 of dowels 29.

Midway between holes 35 is a tapped hole 3:! which receives the threadedend of a :screw 38 that passes through hole 23in body 21] and serves todraw the ring rigidly against the ends of dowels 29 and a spacer bushingor tube ti, on said screw between adjacent sides of the ring and body.

A hollow hemispherical cover 40 has integral trunnions 4:! and '42extending outwardly at diametrically opposite sides and said cover :ispivotally mounted on the body 2o by entering the short trunnion 41 intohole 25 in the body and then dropping the longer trunnion 42 into slot26.

At this point it will be noted particularly in Figs. 2 and 3, that thebrackets, the body 12H, the cover tit and the annular support member 134are concentrically arranged in mutually spaced relation. It will also benoted that cover =40 may be moved .on its trunnions, in the direction ofthe arrow, fr'cm an operative position as shown in Fig. 3 in full lines,through the unobstructed semicircular opening 4.3 between the body?!)and ring 33, atone side :of the trunnions, :to assume a wholly concealedrelation inside the body and beneath the ring and cup.

The trunnion 42 is elongated and is retained in 'slot 26 by a smallplate as that seats on the top edge of the body '29 and spans :said slot2t after the trunnion 1is entered in said slot. This is suitablyattached to the body :28 by angular fingers :35 'on the plate withscrews -45 passing therethrough into said body. A rigidly attached orintegrally formed rectangular block '41 on the trunnion 42 and a stemportion 48 witha threaded terminal end are adapted to cooperate with "areciprocably mounted finger piece and latch member 4-9 for manuallymoving the *covcrpn its trunnioned mounting and for slidably engagingthe top edge of body 28 for holding said cover in the raised oroperative position as shown in Figs. 1, 3 and 4. The member 49 has anenlarged axial core 58 at its outer end and a reduced bore 5| alignedtherewith at the inner end through which the reduced end of the trunnionpasses. A coil spring 52 surrounds the trunnion and is held incompressed and concealed relation within bore 58- by a threaded abutmentpiece 53 which may enter the bore as the finger piece is pulledoutwardly against the resistance of the spring. A projecting flange 54on the finger piece (see Fig. 4') normally rests on the flat plate 44,that is in efiect part of the top edge of body 28, and the top o'f blockt and holds the cover against turning.

When it is desired to uncover the incense cup the finger piece is pulledoutwardly until the flange 54 is clear of plate l4 whereupon the fingerpiece and cover may be rotated to move the cover through the space =43.into the hollow interior oi the body beneath the ring and cup. "Onreverse rotation the spring automatically shifts the finger piece towardthe body and allows flange 44 thereof to assume a latching position.

As indicated in Figs. 2 and 4 the'edge of cover M has slots 55 matchingthe slots 56 in the 'top of body 20 so that when the cover is raised thematching slots in the two members present the appearance of circular-ventilating holes asshown in Fig. l. The cover is furthermore providedwith openings 58B arranged in decorative or symbolic ornamental form. v

The operation and use of the censer will be readily understood. The heatfrom burning material in the cup 32 may rise and escape partly throughopenings 56.0 allowing the scented smoke to escape to the atmosphere.When the censer is swung by the chain the scent also escapes through thematching slots 56 and 55 in the body and cover respectively.

During continued use the cup '32 becomes hot and the rising heat drawscooling air up through opening 21 and allows it to flow between theinside of the body and the cup. Part of the heated air escapes to theatmosphere between the body and the cover and part passes between thesupport ring and the'inside-of the cover-and escapes through openings560.

Thus all the parts of the censer are subjected to ventilating currentsof air and the relatively few and small metallic paths of 'conductivityra quire 'a :long period *of continued use before the exposed partsbecome noticeably heated. At no' become hot :and also pull out livercoals from the :cup and. spill them, thus creating a fire hazard and -asource of inquiry to the users. .Due to the unique arrangement of thesuspension of the present device 'inconjunc'tion with the mode ofoperationof the cover all dangers are obviated. If desired three chainsmay be 'used on the :present device if traditional three chainsuspension be desired but the danger of entanglement of the chains asexperienced with known triple 25 chain suspensions is completelyavoided.

What is claimed is:

1. In a censer the combination of a hollow body with an open top and anopening in the bottom thereof, a ventilated dome-shaped cover having apair of diametrically opposed external trunnions thereon adjacent itsbottom journalled in said body adjacent the top edge of the latterwhereby the cover is supported for rotational movement in one directionto an inverted position wholly within the body for uncovering the opentop of said body and for reverse rotational movement to an uprightposition substantially wholly outside the body for covering the open topof said body, one of said cover trunnions being extended beyond the bodyand having an integral block adjacent said body presenting a flat facesubstantially in a plane with the top edge of the body when the cover isin an upright position outside the bodv, and a latch member axiallyshiftable on said trunnion and spring biased toward said body, saidlatch member including a flange slidably guiding on said flat face onthe trunnion and precluding relative rotation of the latch member andtrunnion, said flange arranged and adapted to slidably engage on the topedge of the body under the influence of said spring bias when the coveris in upright position on the body for releasably retaining the cover insaid position, said latch member being manually retractable against theresistance of the spring bias for retracting said flange from the topedge of the body and permitting unitary manual rotation of the latchmember and trunnion whereby the cover is moved to and from said invertedposition wholly inside the body. 2. In a censer the oombination'of abody, a series of brackets grouped about the body and having the upperends connected together above the said body and the lower ends connectedtogether below said body, bosses on said brackets supporting the bottomof the body in spaced relation to the brackets, dowels on said bracketsextending through the body for effecting predetermined radial spacing ofthe brackets about the body and for retaining the body in seatedrelation on the said bosses, a trunnioned cover journalled atdiametrically opposite sides of the body adjacent its top edge, a springurged latch reciprocably and nonrotatably mounted on one of the covertrunnions and engageable on the top edge of the body for releasablyholding the cover in upright position for substantially covering theopen top of the body, an annular support of lesser size than the coverdisposed concentrically within the upper interior of the body, a flangedincense cup removably seated in said annular support, the dowels in thebrackets on one side of the axis of the trunnioned cover mounting beingextended radially inwardly through the body and entered into theadjacent portions of said annular support, a spacer and screw memberextending between the annular support and body midway the extendeddowels for positively drawing the annular support against the extendeddowels, a foot member connected to said brackets at the bottom thereof,and a suspension chain operatively connected with said brackets at thetop.

3. In a ventilated censer the combination of a hemiglobular hollow bodyhaving an opening in the bottom, brackets grouped about said body inradially spaced relation, bosses on said brackets supporting the bodynear the bottom in spaced relation to said brackets, dowels on saidbrackets extending into said body adjacent the top thereof, an annularsupport for a cup disposed in concentrically inwardly spaced relation tothe top portion of said body, a domed apertured cover, externaltrunnions on said cover adjacent its open bottom extending in journalledrelation through said body adjacent its open top at diametricallyopposite sides thereof, means, including the bracket dowels at one sideof the axis of said trunnion mounting, for rigidly supporting the ringand affording unobstructed space on the opposite side of the axis ofsaid trunnion mounting between the outside of the ring and the inside ofthe bod for permitting movement of the cover on its mounting into theinterior of the body below the ring, and means for releasably latchingthe cover against movement through said unobstructed space. I

4. A single chain suspended censer comprising a group of radially spacedbrackets, means connecting said brackets together at the tops, a chainreceiving member connected to said means, an ornamental hollow censerbody disposed between said brackets, bosses on the brackets forsupporting said bod in spaced relation to said brackets at the bottom ofsaid body, dowels extending from the brackets into said body adjacentthe top, a domed ventilated cover having trunnions adjacent its openbottom journalled at diametrically opposite sides of the open top of thebody and selectively movable on its trunnions into the interior of thebody, for accessibly exposing the open top thereof, and out of said bodyfor substantially closing the body, an incense cup, an annular supportfor removably supporting said cup,

\ means disposed on one side of the axis of rotation of said trunnionsfor rigidly supporting said annular support in spaced concentricrelation with the rim of the cover and the top rim of the body andproviding on the relatively opposite side of said axis an unobstructedspace for movement of the cover between the annular support and thebody, and a latch member mounted for rotation with and reciprocation onone of the trunnions for moving the cover and for releasably latchingsaid cover in closing relation to the body.

5. In a censer the combination of three generally C-shaped bracketshaving horizontal lugs at top and bottom ends thereof, the tops end lugsand the bottom end lugs being respectively stacked and verticallydrilled, a securing means for connecting the bottom end lugs together, afoot member connected by said means to the bottoms of the brackets, ahemiglobular, hollow body having an open top and an opening in thebottom, said body supported on and housed between said brackets, ahollowdomed hemiglobular Ventilated cover of lesser diameter than said body,means pivotally mounting the cover at diametrically opposite sides atthe top of said body, an annular support, an incense cup removablysupported in said annular support, means disposed at one side of theaxis of the pivotal mounting of said cover mounting means for rigidlyretaining the annular support in inwardly spaced concentric relation tothe top of the body, means to releasably latch the cover in uprightrelation over said annular support and substantially closing the top ofsaid body and means at the top ends of the brackets for receiving asuspension chain member for the censer.

6. In a censer the combination of a hollow open topped hemiglobular bodyhaving an opening in the bottom and an annular series of spaced slots inthe top edge thereof, a hollow hemiglobular ventilated cover member ofsmaller diameter than said :body [and having external trunnions atdiametrically-opposite sides, .one of which trunnions :is journalled inone of said slots in said body, means on .said body retaining said lastmentioned trunnion in said slot, the cover having slots :in the edgethereof matching the remaining slots in the body, a latch rotatable withand :reciprocable on the said last mentioned trunnion for permittingalternate manual rotary movement .of the cover wholly into andsubstantially :out 'of the body and :for releasably engaging on the bodyfor retaining the cover in the latter position, a group of radiallyspaced brackets surrounding said "body and cover and rigidly supportingthe body at its top and bottom, :a foot member, 'a single securing meansconnectin the foot member and the bottoms of said brackets together,means to secure the brackets together at the tops and a suspension chain:receiving member connected to the last mentioned means.

57. A single chain suspension censer comprising radially arrangedbrackets connected toport, and means to releasably latch :the :cover in-.a position above the annular :support.

8. In :a'device 'of the class described :the c0mbination 0f threegenerally C-shaped brackets each having parallel 'alignedlugs atlthe-top and bottom respectively, "the lugs on successive brackets beingin superposed alignment at the top and :bottom respectively, a chainreceiving 'mem her on top of the uppermost -lug, -means for securing thesuperposed top bracket lugs and said member-together, achain attached tosaid memher, an open topped and bottom apertured hollow body surroundedby said brackets and .secured against movement relative thereto, anannular support for an tincense cup disposed in spaced concentricrelation within the top interior portion of the body, a ventilated domedcover including a pair of trunnions whereby the cover is journalled inthe body and permitting the cover :to enter wholly into said body ;belowsaid annular support, means to latch the cover on the body in an uprightposition above said annular support, a foot member disposed on thebottom of the lowermost bottom bracket :lug and means securing said footmember and the superposed bottom bracket lugs together.

LEO R. LE TANG.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 721,133 Ahne Feb, 24, 19032,258,363 Kcley Oct. '7, 1941 Certificate of Correction Patent No.2,530,529 November 21, 1950 LEO R. LE TANG certified that error appearsin the printed specification of the patent requiring correction asfollows:

Column 6, line 33, after the Word c1osing-insert the open top of;

and that the said Letters Patent should be read as corrected above, sothat the same may conform to the record of the case in the PatentOflice. Signed and sealed this 23rd day of January, A. D. 1951.

It is hereby above numbered THOMAS F. MURPHY,

Assistant Uommissz'oner of Patents.

